Functions of Poetry in Medieval ArabicIslamic Society

Al- Hamadhni (d.398/1008)

In Maqamat, he make a distinction between pre Islamic
Arabic poetry and muhdah poetry
Al- Iskendari: the language of the ancients is nobler and
their themes is more abundant, whereas the conceits of
the moderns are more refined and their style more elegant
Poetry is kind of source of secular knowledge but it may
also has a religious attribution: muallaqa poems hung on
the walls of Ka'ba.
Condemnation of poetry: religious conflict between the
supernatural sources of knowledge and Quranic knowledge
or worldview of slam as a threat for the power of Arab
tribes

In Arabic Islamic Society:

Source of knowledge for the Arabic language which is
significant to understand Quran truly.
Poetry was not studied for its own sake but for the sake of
learning grammar and lexicography because of the purity of
their language.
Examples from poetry were used to support the definition of
a word in lexicoraphy
Poetry had a low status in the hierarchy of Arabic Sciences.
Also poetry was an essential component of elementary
education. Hz. Aisha reportedly told the Muslims to teach their
sons poetry
Poetry in Pre-Islamic worldview -Secular- individualistic,

New Role of Poetry

Umayyad Times (661-749)
Political and ideological emphasis on poetrysectarian polemics between Shiites, zubayrids and
khawarij
Abbasid Period (842-1258)
Increasing involvement of poetry in courtly lifestyle
gave rise to two important phenomena:
The rise of poets as professional classes
Incorporation of poetry into the entertainment area

The rise of poets as professional classes

Institutionalisms of poetry led to artistic development and
appreciation- literary criticism.
Poetry as a commodity,
Poets had patrons at the various courts,
Poets were mostly dependent on ruling class
Poet is defender and propagandist of court as well as
entertainer
Poetry is vehicle reaching of poet to the court
Carrier in poetry: education, good training and ambition- in
return money, recognition by rulers and fame.
Ibn Sallam and Ibn Haldun: poetry is craft (sanai and kasb)
Incorporation of Poetry into Entertainment Areas
Popularization of poetry in general, loss of its political function
with the rise of entertainment function
Entertainment to the courts of caliphs

Beginnings
Early meanings and practices of literary criticism
Naqd al-shir- first mentioned by Al-Asmai is the
authentication of Arabic poetry
Identification of original poetry in transmission from oral
culture to written culture.
Arabic poetry is both as a source for Islamic knowledge and
also symbolic of Arab culture
Ibn Sallam (d.232/846)
He was accepted the founder of classical Arabic criticsm from
two reasons:
he insisted that poetry was a craft (sinaa)and only some
people of learning (ahl-ilm) can make
judgments on that and he named this activity ilm-al-shir and
defined its purpose

Al Jahiz (d.225/868)
In Al-hayawan and Al-bayn wa al-tabyin he responses to
the shuibi attacks on Arabic oratory tradion
Contrary to Ibn Sallam who is a religious scholar and relies on
isnad, Aljahiz, Mutezilite, relies on reason and dispenses
with isnad in his works
His main purpose was developing the concept of bayan
(clarity of speech)
The process of tamyiz requires a closer inspection of text
Ibn Qutayba (d.276/889)
He replaces In- Sallams rigid and impractical sheme with
simpler one
He gave more superiority to pre Islamic poetry than muhdah

Naturalness (matb, absence of affection (mutekallif),

freedom from errors in diction and meaning; minimal
borrowing from the ancient poets; and popularity of poetry
From these criteria, he gave more superiority to pre Islamic
poetry than muhdah poetry
Process of selecting the best of tradition does not rely on
instinct alone
Al- Jahiz accepted and artistic creativity as a willful human act
thorugh rational thinking with the effect of mutezilite
influence, Ibn Qutayba, on the contrary, emphasized the
notion of tab.
Ibn al Mutaz (d.296/908) and Kitab-el Bad
He documents bad devices- al-madhhab al- kalami
(argumentative discourse), al-jinas (paranomasia), al-tibaq
(antithesis), al-tashbih (simile) and al-istiara (metaphor)

Sariqat

bn- Tabataba, Qudama and al- Hatimi

Tabataba in his works Iyar al- shir says that his purpose is
to describe what ilm-al shir is and to explain simply
techniques of poetic composition
For hi, poetry is two kind:
First one is well constructed (muhkam), meaning wise and
composition wonderful, so that it is made into prose its
excellent meaning is not invalidated and its strong diction
not lost
Second is deceptively ornate and sweet poetry that appeals
to the senses on the surface , but of its diction is found to
be corrupt and meaning defective, when its exposed and
examined. It could not be reworked into prose

Qudema (d.337/948) and Naqd al-shir:

objective critic of poetry, distinguishing good from bad poetry that requires knowledge of
the both merits and shortcomings
Eight elements of poetic compositions: four individual and four compound
Wording, metre, rhyme, rhyme and meaning
Wording and metre, wording and meaning, meaning and metre, meaning and rhyme
bn-i Tababata is a poet and his concern mainly the craft.
Qudema is not poet and his concern objective evolution of poetry
Al-hatimi and Sinet al-shir